After about an hour and a half of debate Thursday, the Council on Academic Affairs approved a one-credit course that allows students to reflect on their study abroad experiences.

However, because of a bylaw conflict, the council removed the proposal that would change the undergraduate catalog in order to substitute the senior seminar requirement for the combined course and study abroad experience.

Stephen Lucas, a council member and the chairman of the secondary education and foundations department, said it would be against their bylaws to make the substitution official in the catalog because the proposal was not introduced to all of the college curriculum committees or the Faculty Senate and Student Senate.

“This requires, at the minimum, discussion of such proposals before the college curriculum committees, Faculty Senate, Student Senate, and other appropriate administrative bodies before such proposals, along with the results of the discussion, are considered by the Council,” according to Article VII, Section 4 under the handling of proposals subsection in the council bylaws. 

Mary Herrington-Perry, the assistant vice president for academic affairs, said even though they did not make the catalog change, students who take advantage of the new study abroad course coupled with a study-abroad trip could still receive waivers toward their senior seminar requirement.

In the fall, the revisions to the undergraduate catalog will be presented to remaining college curriculum committees and both the Faculty Senate and the Student Senate. The proposal may then be reintroduced to the council for a vote.

In the course proposal for Study Abroad Capstone Experience and Project, STA 4000G, the council members decided to keep the language stating it could replace a senior seminar, but added in parenthesis that it would be pending the approval of the catalog revisions.

Before they decided on the wording, they entertained the idea of stripping the course of its general-education properties.

Robert Augustine, the dean of the graduate school, disagreed with this.

“Striking the ‘G’ would change the basic premise of the course that we have worked on for weeks, which is to provide an alternative to the senior seminar,” Augustine said.

The course consists of students sharing their study-abroad experiences through different projects, and researching different future job opportunities.

Kelly Holland, the coordinator of the Study Abroad Office, said they will bring different speakers to the course such as Career Services employees and faculty who have led study abroad trips. 

Melissa Caldwell, a council member and an assistant English professor, said members of her department voiced concerns about the course being taught by Study Abroad Office staff and the lack of a length requirement for the study abroad experience.

Any study abroad opportunity, from a week-trip to a semester-trip, qualifies students to take the one-credit course.

The course was unanimously approved and will be implemented in the Spring 2013 semester.

 Rachel Rodgers can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].